Scoring Love: Even This Can Up My Game

Chapter 5: Why Would I Despise You

"Who gave you the courage?"

Hearing the mysterious question from behind, although Ah Long didn't know who it was, he guessed a bit. His heart sank, and he quickly turned around, clenching his fists and raising them above his head, kneeling on the ground.

"It's Long's fault. Long was ordered to clean here and had no intention of trespassing. Long hopes for forgiveness."

"Are you Long?"

The newcomer lowered his head to look at the boy in front of him, his eyes filled with indescribable emotions.

"Yes, this humble servant is Long."

Ah Long didn't understand why he was being questioned like this. After all, he was the lowest-ranking servant in the pavilion. He hadn't done anything extraordinary other than daily training and chores. It was puzzling, but he quickly responded to the inquiry.

"Raise your head."

Ah Long obediently lifted his head, revealing a finely carved face, but his eyes remained downcast.

After seeing Ah Long's face clearly, the newcomer's eyes flickered for a moment. The face in front of him overlapped with a face deeply engraved in his memory. The feelings surged like waves, making it difficult to calm down.

Ah Long kept his head up for a long time, but the newcomer didn't continue speaking. He just stood there, looking at Ah Long.

As time passed, Ah Long became more anxious. He wasn't sure what this person was thinking. He wanted to say something to break the silence but was afraid of angering the other party. If he spoke, he might end up adding some color to this maple forest. So, he endured the knee pain from kneeling.

"Go, and don't appear here again. Never show this face again!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the newcomer's palm flicked, using internal force to send Ah Long flying. He rolled several times on the ground before barely stopping.

Being unexpectedly attacked wasn't new to Ah Long. Since he could remember, he had been inexplicably bullied and insulted by others every two or three days. Ah Long didn't understand what he had done wrong. There was a time when he considered ending his own life, but someone had told him, "It's easy to die, but living well is difficult. Are you willing to throw your life away so easily?"

Yes, I have to live well! Someday, I will become strong enough not to endure others' humiliation!

Thinking of this, Ah Long slowly got up, bowed towards the direction of the newcomer, endured the pain in his limbs, picked up the broom, and walked in the opposite direction of the maple forest.

Once Ah Long was far away, the newcomer cast a sidelong glance at the direction of the forest and spoke after a brief pause.

"Don't arrange it like this in the future. Instead of wasting effort on this, think about how to fulfill Master's last wishes."

Listening to this, a sudden gust of wind swept through, revealing Jifei's presence.

"He is the bloodline of the Fifth Miss. Do we really want him to live as a servant everyone can bully forever?"

"Letting him live is already generous."

"But the Fifth Miss wouldn't want him to live like this." Jifei, feeling indignant, couldn't help expressing his dissatisfaction.

Seeing Jifei's reaction, the newcomer found it amusing. Approaching him, he spoke with an icy tone.

"Fine, I'll give him a chance, let him follow the path his mother took."

Jifei was taken aback and met the newcomer's gaze. It seemed unbelievable.

"You mean..."

"As part of the new training program, count him in. However, life and death are determined by fate."

At this point, the newcomer turned to look at the maple forest. After a brief pause, he continued.

"Don't blame me."

Having said that, he walked away. After taking five or six steps, he suddenly turned back.

"Don't forget your identity!"

Jifei, seeing the person saying this, couldn't help but feel shocked. After a while, he bowed respectfully towards the empty mountain road.

"Understood, Master's orders."

...

Dong Lier saw Ah Long staring at his reflection in the water, lost in thought. Unable to resist, she pushed his elbow.

"Ah Long? Ah Long, what are you doing in a daze? Hurry up and wash."

Ah Long snapped out of it, looking at his reflection in the water again. He pushed away Dong Lier and hesitated.

"Can I not wash? If you find it unpleasant, I can stay away from you."

Until now, Ah Long never understood why that person would injure him after seeing his face. Before, he was so tired from training and chores that he would fall asleep almost immediately every day. He only washed casually and never cared about his appearance.

Now, looking at the reflection in the water, Ah Long couldn't help but wonder if he was too ugly, causing others in the pavilion to mock and bully him.

Thinking of this, Ah Long, looking at the smiling Dong Lier, became afraid to clean his face. He was afraid that Dong Lier would also despise him like the others.

"Nonsense, why would I despise you?"

Dong Lier noticed that Ah Long's mood was off and didn't want to force him. Instead, she continued speaking.

"If you don't want to wash, then don't. But at least wash the parts stained with blood, right?"

"Mm."

Ah Long agreed, and he scooped water with his hands, splashing it on himself. Any part of his body that wasn't covered by clothes, except for his face, he scrubbed meticulously until his skin turned red.

Seeing that Ah Long and the others were almost done cleaning up, Dong Lier walked to the shore, leaning against a tree, and shouted to everyone.

"Come over here, all of you."

Yu Hao had a good impression of Dong Lier. Perhaps it was because he felt that she was formidable. He admired her and walked over first.

Therefore, Dong Lier was always the first to respond whenever she spoke.

"What's wrong, Lier?"

The others looked at Dong Lier with questioning eyes.

"Are we discussing the night watch schedule?" Congwenhu guessed.

"Exactly. We still have plenty of provisions, but other groups may not. Survival here is challenging, and we can't afford to be careless."

Dong Lier deliberately lowered her voice and glanced in the direction of the second group of girls.

"I'll take the night watch. I haven't been of much help today, and I've had several hours of sleep. I should be fine."

Thinking about how she had lagged behind, Hefei felt guilty and volunteered.

"No, your health is weak. We still have two more days. You need to rest and recover."

Looking at Hefei's slightly pale face, Luxiaoku directly opposed.

Dong Lier glanced at Hefei and nodded in agreement. "Yes, and we can't guarantee that there won't be more wild animals at night."

Congwenhu suggested, "It's not long until dawn. I'll take the first half of the night, and Luxiaoku can take the second half. How about that?"

"I have no problem."

Luxiaoku hastily patted his chest, looking reliable.

"Alright then. Tonight, you two take turns, and tomorrow we'll rotate. Now, everyone, rest quickly."

After Dong Lier finished speaking, those not on night duty gathered on a relatively flat area. They laid down makeshift beds of leaves pulled from the roadside and went to sleep.

The gentle breeze blew as Congwenhu, sitting on a distant rock, couldn't help shivering.

As the moon descended and the stars disappeared, he calculated the time. It was time for him to take the night watch.

Congwenhu walked to the campfire and gently nudged Luxiaoku.

"Wake up."

"...Huh?... Oh."

Luxiaoku, still half-asleep, sat up, stretched lazily, and then shivered.

The morning breeze was a bit chilly, and Luxiaoku was now fully awake.

"You can sleep now. I'll take over."

Congwenhu nodded and lay down in Luxiaoku's recently vacated spot. Taking advantage of the remaining warmth, he curled up and soon fell asleep.

Luxiaoku looked at the dwindling campfire. He picked up a few sturdy twigs from the pile, walked to another campfire, and threw them into the center.

"Thanks. It feels warmer now."

Yanran lay on the ground, looking at Luxiaoku with misty eyes.

Luxiaoku scratched his head awkwardly.

"Sorry if I woke you up with my loud voice."

"I'm a light sleeper."

"Then, go back to sleep. If anything happens, I'll come and wake you all."

As Luxiaoku finished speaking, Yanran's eyes, moist with tears, reflected a pearl-sized tear under the firelight. Her originally beautiful face now seemed even more moving, and Luxiaoku was momentarily stunned.

Until Yanran wiped away the tears with her hand, Luxiaoku finally reacted, feeling a bit at a loss.

"What's wrong? Why... Why are you crying?"

Yanran managed to force a smile and replied, "It's nothing. It's just that no one has cared about me like this before."

Her words were delicate and touching, making Luxiaoku feel a pang of heartache.

He wished he could bring the best things in the world to Yanran right now, as long as she wouldn't be sad anymore, or rather, as long as she could be happy.

Luxiaoku wasn't sure why he suddenly had such thoughts. He was startled by his own thoughts but couldn't help recalling Donge.

Donge was the oldest among their group of beggars, a righteous man. One time, a younger beggar under Donge's command didn't understand the rules and begged on the main street, resulting in bullying from other beggars.

Upon learning about it, Donge led the beggars who relied on him to demand justice. Luxiaoku was among them.

The chaotic group confronted each other in the ruins north of the city, where there were no rules—only winners and losers.

"Donge, how are your injuries?" Luxiaoku asked, worried.

"I'm fine. Let's go."

The battle ended with a tragic victory for Donge's side, and both Luxiaoku and Donge were severely injured. To prevent retaliation, they had to endure the pain, pretend to be calm, and discuss future begging areas and other matters. Only after Donge let everyone leave did he and Luxiaoku depart.

"Donge, you've lost a lot of blood," Luxiaoku said, his lips trembling.

"I can hold on."

Donge looked at the somewhat flustered young man in front of him and rubbed his head, comforting him.

"Okay, Donge, you must hold on until we reach the city gate. Once we're inside, I'll take you to find a doctor."

Although Luxiaoku said so, both of them knew it was just comforting words. They had begged very little before, and they couldn't afford a doctor now.

However, Donge went along with Luxiaoku's words, whether to give him confidence or to give himself confidence.

The word "okay" had just left Donge's mouth when he staggered and fell to the ground. He was already hanging onto Luxiaoku for support, and this unexpected fall brought Luxiaoku down with him.

Seeing Donge lying on the ground gasping for breath, Luxiaoku panicked. Even with his own injuries, he managed to help Donge sit up.

But at this point, Donge had already passed out, and no matter how hard Luxiaoku slapped or shouted his name, there was no response.

"What do I do? What do I do?"

Luxiaoku became more and more anxious, looking around in a state of panic, muttering to himself.

"Right! A physician! Donge needs a physician!"

Luxiaoku thought determinedly. Even if there was only a slim chance, he had to find a physician. If the physician was willing to show mercy and help Donge, even if it meant kowtowing every day, he was willing to do it.

With this determination, Luxiaoku struggled to lift Donge onto his back, carrying him. Slowly, step by step, he moved forward. Though slow, he didn't stop.

After a while, Luxiaoku, exhausted, let Donge's feet touch the ground. He crouched down, dragging Donge along, slowly walking. It took an unknown amount of time before they finally reached the city gate.

"Stop! Who are you?"

The city guard, seeing two people in tattered clothes with bloodstains, spoke cautiously while checking them.

"We are beggars. We accidentally fell off a cliff while begging and suffered serious injuries. We ask the official to show mercy and allow us into the city to find a physician."

Luxiaoku thought that he couldn't let the guard know about their fight outside the city. If they were accused of disturbing public order, it would be even worse. So, he quickly made up a reason.

Upon hearing this, the city guard burst into laughter.

"Find a physician? I never knew beggars could afford physicians these days."

After mocking them, the guard's eyes were filled with disdain.

Knowing that he couldn't confront the guard directly, Luxiaoku remembered Donge's usual advice and spoke again.

"Your kindness in allowing us into the city to seek medical help will surely be recognized by the physician. Perhaps, inspired by your example, the physician will show mercy and treat us. This will be a face-saving act for the official."

The guard cast a sidelong glance at Luxiaoku and muttered, "You know how to talk..."

Before the guard could finish, Luxiaoku immediately bowed and thanked him profusely.

"Official, your kindness is appreciated. Many thanks. May the official have good fortune and prosperity..."

The guard stopped Luxiaoku before he could finish his flattery, sneering, "I might have face, but I don't need face from the likes of beggars. Know your place!"

With these words, the guard blocked their way, snorting.

Angry now, Luxiaoku began to shout, "Let me in! Why won't you let us in? I haven't done anything wrong. Why won't you let us into the city?!"

Luxiaoku just wanted to make a scene, even if it meant dying here. If the news spread that an official and commoners clashed, it wouldn't be good for the officials. Perhaps there was still a chance for Donge's survival.

Seeing this, the guard shouted, "What are you doing? What do you want? Stop shouting! Back off, back off!"

The two sides pulled and pushed each other, attracting a crowd of onlookers. The city gate area became congested, and those on the outskirts were stuck without knowing what was happening.

"Miss, the city gate is blocked. Should we wait here or...?" A girl dressed as a maid asked, facing the carriage.

"Qinglu, go inquire. Find out what's happening," the person inside the carriage said with a gentle and melodious voice, refreshing like a spring breeze.

"Yes."

Soon, Qinglu, the maid, returned to the carriage.

"Miss, there is a beggar trying to enter the city for medical treatment. The city guard refuses, and there seems to be a conflict, causing a crowd to gather, blocking the passage at the city gate."

"If this continues, it might delay our visit to the temple."

The maid reported, and the person inside the carriage spoke calmly. Although her voice was calm, it carried a melodious and soothing quality.

"Understood, Miss."

In a short time, the carriage's door opened, and a young lady in elegant attire emerged. Her eyes were clear and bright, and her aura was like a gentle breeze, calming those around her.

Approaching the crowd at the city gate, she raised her hand and said, "Excuse me, may I know what's happening here?"